Thursday, May 9, 2013

Adding some color to your life

The bad guy
wears black - it’s a convention, isn’t it?

Black is
the color of evil, of wrongdoers and of the night but what do the other colors
mean? When used as the principal color on a book cover, what does the color
convey about the nature of the book itself?

I’ve gone
through the main colors and analyzed them – see what you think and how many
others examples come to mind.

Red

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Any man knows that thisis the color of danger

Red – it’s the
color of blood and fire. Red signifies urgency, a need for action or danger ahead.
Used in an adventure book it will tell the reader that they should be prepared
for action while in a romance it will indicate that there’s plenty of searing
passion ahead.

Famous
example: Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci code” makes good use of a dull red to suggest
a rip-roaring adventure is coming.

Orange

Like red it
can also mean a call to action such and can even include impulsiveness. Orange also
means that there is change ahead – a challenge, perhaps. As a result, orange is
an excellent color for a book about exploration, self-improvement or getting
fit!

Famous
example: Clockwork Orange

Yellow

It’s a
happy, bright color; the perceived color of the sun – an object which is often
depicted by children as sporting a smile. To go alongside this cheerfulness, yellow
signifies all things positive and enduring. Use it to instill a ‘feel good’
factor about a book such as to complement a tale about someone overcoming hardship
or tragedy.

Famous example: National Geographic use a bright yellow in their
iconic rectangular logo.

Green

Green is
the color of new growth, of development, and of hope for the future. It also instills
a sense of calmness and security. Use it on a book cover to indicate the
beginnings of something big such as a family saga or other epic.

Famous
example: Ironically (probably) on the cover of ‘Animal Farm’.

Blue

“Calm blue
ocean”. Blue is the color of trust, of calmness, responsibility, confidence in
the establishment, inner peace and strength. Blue is often employed by
corporations on their brochures to suggest their solidarity and stability. Use
on a book to suggest a ‘solid’ read which will entertain without upsetting the
reader.

Famous
book: Dr Seuss, “The Cat In The Hat”.

Indigo/Violet/Purple

Violet
means luxury, opulence and wealth and is the chosen color for regal vestments. Because
of this, it means romance, inspiration and a high level of positivity and
confidence in the future. Use for a happy-ending, feel-good romance or take its
‘creativity’ aspect for a book about hobbies, DIY or self-help.

Famous
example: Ian Fleming’s ‘Casino Royale’ uses purple to depict the two sides of
his famous hero, James Bond.

Black

It says it all.

The
conventional color of evil, the night and all things dark. Black can also
indicate sophistication – the famous ‘little black dress’ invented by Coco
Chanel. Black can mean power and is often employed to demonstrate a high level
of control.

Famous
example: The Godfather is a wonderful illustration of the simplicity and implied
control of black.

White

White can even make you suspend
belief with its implied innocence

White, the
color of innocence, purity, cleansing and virtue. It’s often seen on the covers
of romances, to indicate the good guy (the ‘hero on a white horse’ effect) or
as a counterpoint to evil in a ‘black and white’ context. White can also mean
simplicity and minimalism – the stripping away of unnecessary modern trappings.

Famous book:
Bridget Jones’ Diary

Colors are,
of course, just what we choose to see them as. For example, red is the color of
danger in the West but the color of good fortune in China.

The theme
can’t dictate the colors used on your book’s cover but it’s another factor
that’s worth bearing in mind. After all, the cover may be the only part of your
book that a potential customer gets to see. You need to make the right kind of
impact on the right kind of people; that’s the key to success.

Clive West is a director of Any Subject Books which both publishes books and provides book publishing services to independent authors. He's also author of 4 books including his best-selling collection of short stories with twists in their tails, Hobson's Choice.